DOCUMENTS RECOGNISED BY OPERATION OF LAW IN POLAND

1. Each certificate, diploma or other document issued within the educational system of one of the EU, EEA or OECD member states which entitles to apply for admission to a higher education programme in the state of issuance. This rule concerns the following states: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA.
2. IB (International Baccalaureate) diplomas issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva.
3. EB (European Baccalaureate) diplomas issued by the European Schools in accordance with the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools drawn up in Luxembourg on June 21st, 1994. (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2005, No. 3, item 10).
4. Certificates, diplomas and other documents issued abroad by schools or educational institutions in accordance with the principles laid down in bilateral agreements on mutual diploma recognition
5. If a certificate or other document entitles to apply for admission only to specific higher education programs in the state of issuance, it shall be recognized as a document giving a right to apply for admission to such higher education programmes in Poland which are identical or similar in terms of their curriculum.

RECOGNITION PROCEEDINGS BY PROVINCIONAL EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENTS

RECOGNITION OF SCHOOL CERTIFICATES/DIPLOMAS

The body competent with respect to the proceedings for the recognition of a school certificate or other document issued abroad – which is not recognized by operation of law – is the education superintendent (kurator oświaty) and has jurisdiction over: • the place of residence of the applicant or • the registered office of the institution to which the applicant intends to submit the application or other document issued abroad (if the applicant does not reside within the territory of the Republic of Poland). The education superintendent may: • recognize a foreign school certificate or other document by way of an administrative decision as a document which confirms the completion of primary, lower secondary, basic vocational or upper secondary education and • confirm the entitlement to continue one’s education, including the entitlement to apply for admission to a higher education program, taking into account the scope of rights granted in the state of issuance of the certificate or other document. Foreign school certificates or documents may be recognized in Poland only if they are recognized by the state within the territory of which or in the education system of which such a school operates.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED in the recognition proceedings

1. Application (43.5 KB)
   
   
2. Certificate – with an apostille or legalised:
   

a) original of the certificate or its duplicate or notarized copy with an apostille placed on or enclosed to the document, if the certificate was issued by a state which is a party to the Hague Convention or
b) legalised original of the certificate or its duplicate – if the certificate was issued by a state which is not a party to the Hague Convention (the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, drawn up in the Hague on October 5, 1961). Certificates may be legalised or receive an apostille by: – the consul of the Republic of Poland having jurisdiction with respect to the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued,
or
– the educational authorities of the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, or
– a diplomatic representation or consular office of the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, accredited in the Republic of Poland or in any EU, OECD or EEA member state, where the said certificates or documents confer an entitlement to apply for admission to a higher education program in the states in question.

1. Documents to be appended if the certificate does not contain information about the course of education:
   a) a list of grades received in the course of examinations required for completing the school or educational institution or the given stage of the educational program;
   b) a list of subjects and other classes completed in the course of the given stage of education, along with the grades received;
   c) information on the completed curriculum pertaining to the contents thereof, the planned duration of tuition as well as the grade scale applied;
   d) information on the conferred entitlements to continue education at an appropriate level in the state in the education system of which the given certificate was issued, including the entitlements to apply for admission to a higher education program as well as on the scope of the entitlements in question.
   
   
2. The documents mentioned in 3 a-d should be issued or confirmed by the school or educational institution which issued the certificate or by educational authorities of the state on whose territory or in whose educational system the certificate was issued.
   
   
3. The translation of documents into Polish, enclosed to the application, shall be done or confirmed by:
   a) a person entered on the list of sworn translators by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Poland, or
   b) a person registered as a sworn translator in any EU, OECD or EEA member state, or
   c) the consul of the Republic of Poland having jurisdiction with respect to the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, or
   d) a diplomatic representative or consular office of the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, accredited in the Republic of Poland.
   e) If the translation of the documents into Polish causes substantial difficulties, the education superintendent may agree for the applicant to present a translation performed by another entity, provided that the credibility of such entity is beyond reproach.
   
   
4. The decision may be appealed against to the Minister of National Education through the education superintendent within 14 days from its receipt.
   
   
5. In the proceedings the provisions of the Act of 14th June 1960 – Code of Administrative Procedure (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] 2014, Item 283, as amended) have to be applied.

How to fill in the application example